Keeping Kids Smiling in the Cold

“I can’t feel my legs,” said Audrey Griswold in the movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation as her father Clark leads the family on a forced winter march in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Later, as Audrey relays her misery and increasingly worse symptoms to whoever will listen, he quips, “That’s all part of the experience.” For certain, that’s what many people think of when it comes to snow and colder temperatures: misery.

Read the complete column to learn some quick tips on keeping kids warm outside and local events: Outdoor activities don’t have to stop when the temperature drops

Events

Winter Tree Identification

January 31, 2026

Cox Arboretum MetroPark: Mead Westvaco Theatre | 10:00am - 12:00pm

AGE: 10-17 | $3.00

Did you know that even when the trees don't have leaves in the winter, there are still ways to identify them?!

https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=U122&api=programs&type=program 

Tree-Tapping Basics at Kingswood Park

 Jan 31, 2026

 10:00 am - 11:00 am

 Kingswood Park Activity Center

COST: Free

AGES: Any (children must be accompanied by a responsible guardian)

REGISTRATION REQUIRED?: Yes

https://www.warrencountyparks.com/events/event/tree-tapping-basics-at-kingswood-park/2026-01-31/ 

*A minimum of five people registered for this program to take place

Celebrate Backyard Birds

Saturday Feb 7, 2026

Germantown MetroPark: Twin Valley Welcome Center | 10:00am - 11:30am

AGE: 3-13 | FREE

Openings: 10

Like a canary in a goldmine, birds are indicators of change of the health of our local habitats. https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=V67&api=programs&type=program 

Toddler Trek: Woodland Birds

 Feb 9, 2026

 10:30 am - 11:30 am

 Armco Park- Jones Pavilion

COST: Free

AGES: 2-6 year olds with a responsible grown up

REGISTRATION REQUIRED?: Yes

https://www.warrencountyparks.com/events/event/toddler-trek-woodland-birds/2026-02-04/ 

Trail Tots: Love in Nature

Feb 12, 2026

Admin - Board Room

Age at least 3 yrs but less than 5y 11m 4w, Mixed

Little explorers will discover animal families and how they care for each other. Explore and spark a love for nature with a story, song and craft.

https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/ntprd/activity/search/detail/4607?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true 

Maple Celebration and Great Backyard Bird Count Open House at Armco Park

 Feb 14, 2026

 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

 Armco Park Jones Pavilion - 1223 N SR 741, Lebanon, OH 45036

FREE community celebration! Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count and enjoy an authentic maple sugaring experience.

https://www.warrencountyparks.com/events/event/maple-celebration-and-great-backyard-bird-count-open-house-at-armco-park/2026-02-14/ 

Maple Sugaring

Feb 21, 2026

Carriage Hill MetroPark: Carriage Hill Historical Farm | 10:00am - 4:00pm

AGE: All ages | FREE

Openings: Unlimited

Nature has its own way of providing us with sweeteners. Come join us as we do maple sugaring on the farm.https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=V4&api=programs&type=program 

Resources

https://time.com/collection/guide-to-happiness/4706590/scandinavia-world-happiness-report-nordics/

https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=frostbite-and-frostnip-in-children-90-P02820 

Brownfieldagnews.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTKpKBzd7jg

Rolling the Dice on Ice

“I'm not going out there. That’s crazy.” That was the response heard in our car when we visited Madison, WI, one March. We were looking at a group of ice fishing tents.

As a guy who has repeatedly tested the height limits of hip boots against the uncertain depth of the muddy bottom of creeks and came up with not quite enough boot, I can assure you that Ohio water outdoors in January and February is plenty cold. And I’ve stepped through frozen cattails and found myself up to my knees. That’s more than far enough for me. I’m really not looking for any cold plunges, intentional or accidental. Making Ice The common expression and shared by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is “there’s no such thing as safe ice.” What they mean is that you should always be aware of the conditions and state of the ice. The only way to know for sure is make a hole with a spudbar or ice auger and measure. But you can get an idea of when it might be time to venture out and measure by calculating the number of freezing days. That can help determine if the body of water is making or losing ice. Calculate Freezing Degree Days (FDDs)

• Find Daily Average Temperature: (High Temp + Low Temp) / 2
• Calculate FDDs: 32°F (freezing point) - Daily Average Temperature
• Estimate Ice Growth: FDDs / 15 = Approximate inches of new ice or one inch of ice for every 15 FDDs

Read the complete article here: Ice Fishing in Ohio - All ice is not equal And avoid shortcuts across streams or any ice you’re not 100% sure about, as one deer hunter recently found out at Buck Creek State Park the hard way. But don’t miss out on opportunities out of fear. We ultimately all made it out onto Lake Mendota.

Resources

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/recreational-safety/ice-thickness-guidelines 

https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/family-friendly/winter-activities/ice-fishing

https://www.almanac.com/ice-thickness-safety-chart 

https://mikerowe.com/2020/03/walk-me-through-this-safety-third-thing/#

Gear
Ice Augers

For Birds - There Ain't Nothing Better When the Wind Cuts Cold

Food and shelter are the foundation of life for wildlife during the Southwest Ohio winter. Being efficient in finding food and minimizing exposure to the elements and predators are key. That’s why winters can sometimes seem bleak and lifeless. Much like we run to the grocery and then go immediately back inside, animals dash out to food sources and then back to shelter. There isn’t a lot of loafing around when the wind cuts cold. 

You can add some action outside your windows by creating or enhancing food, shelter, or both where you can see it. I once hung a feeder outside of an office window that I made from a plastic peanut-butter jar and a promotional Frisbee. If you know me, you’re not surprised by this at all. 

If you want to be selective in what you’re feeding and attracting to your area, you’ll want to be intentional about the style of feeder and what it contains. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources offers these suggestions for winter feeding: 

• Sunflower Seeds
• Peanuts
• Niger Thistle
• Millet
• Corn
• Safflower Seeds
• Suet

Check out the complete column to see what seed might be right for you: Want to attract birds to your backyard? Give them what they need

Whatever feed you choose, make sure to periodically clean the feeders, especially in the event of warmer weather. Suet can turn rancid if temperatures climb, and it wasn’t that long ago that the ODNR requested that feeders be pulled during the summer. 

If you see wildlife that looks sick or disabled, report it to the ODNR through their reporting portal here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/987f2ade0037405ea9ff1819aab040a8?portalUrl=https://gis.ohiodnr.gov/portal 

Resources

Backyard Wildlife

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/stewardship-citizen-science/backyard-wildlife

Publications

https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/wildlife/backyard-wildlife/Attracting%20Birds%20in%20Ohio%20pub037.pdf 

Bird Buddy (responsible for this cover image shot) https://app.mybirdbuddy.com/media/springfield-united-states/6e2d8371-30b6-4cd4-b6a1-fdc4e88db806

Fresh Start for Fresh Tracks

 

A clean slate. That’s what some think of the New Year. But a clean slate is literally what a fresh overnight snow provides to the outdoor landscape. There’s nothing better than a couple of inches of new snow to reveal what’s passed by, complete with as definitive of a time stamp as the outdoors provides this side of a digital trail camera. 

To paraphrase hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, who said, “skate to where the puck is going, not where it is,” use the tracks to determine where the animal is going. Deer and rabbits are both known for watching their backtrail, so they’ll be looking for you, too. Seeing them before they see you is the trick. Look for slight elevation changes where a deer might bed down to watch their trail and along edges of cover before you approach. 

Read the complete article, Snow helps track what wildlife are roaming locally

Photo credit to Dave Woehr https://www.flickr.com/photos/s5200/50990143467/in/photostream/

Looking Ahead ... And Looking Way Ahead

It’s a fact. The hours of sunlight are getting longer from now until late June. But that doesn’t mean the days won’t feel short with the early setting sun. Switching to a new calendar is always a good time to mark things you want to do again or for the first time if you missed the opportunity. (Note to self: mark a date in June to find green walnuts for Nocino for real this year. Just do it.) There are lots of things that mark the seasons personally for me. By no means am I anywhere near Bill Felkner’s level of knowledge and detail recording seasonal happenings (don’t forget the average part of this outdoor column), but looking back is a good reminder for opportunities taken, and missed, and where more could be done. 

Take a class, or go on a hike. 
Of course, you can always visit our public lands on your own. Winter is a great time to get away outside and there is seldom anything that approaches the crowds of summer. Cottontail Rabbit, Ringnecked Pheasant, deer archery, and squirrel seasons are still open. And if none of that suits you, read or reread “A Sand County Almanac” by Aldo Leopold. It’s a timeless series of great essays on our connection to the world and our place in it. I’m going to mark a date in June to find green walnuts for nocino, in what’s become a stretch goal for me. 

Read the complete column here: The new year brings new opportunities to connect with the outdoors

Five Rivers Metro Parks

National Trail Parks and Recreation Department

Metro Parks of Butler County

Buckcreek State Park

Ceaser Creek State Park

A Sand County Almanac

Nocino

1. https://www.themeateater.com/wild-and-whole/wild-recipes/how-to-make-nocino

More to come

Ohio Christmas Bird Count

Knowing is critical. Actually wanting to know is the most critical - and to care. At the end of the 19th century, wildlife conservation was barely a thought. Many people thought that animals couldn’t go extinct or be eliminated by humans. Until they were. 

The first Christmas Bird Count (CBC) happened in 1900, proposed as an alternative to the “side hunts” by Frank Champman, an early officer of what would become the Adobon Society in 1905. The thought was that the birds could actually be counted without bringing all of them to bag. The interest was immediate, including 25 locations from California to Canada, and counted 90 different species. Today, there are bird counts in all 50 United States and 20 foreign countries, involving tens of thousands of participants and counting millions of birds.

Read the complete column online here: The Christmas bird count: The tradition that shocked America into saving wildlife

https://www.audubon.org/content/cbc-data-bird-trends 

https://www.fws.gov/story/tis-season-christmas-bird-count 

https://audubon.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=ac275eeb01434cedb1c5dcd0fd3fc7b4 

A Murder ... and Then Some

 

A murder of crows is a group of three or more. What happens in Springfield every year has no problem flying past that threshold. One … five … nine … 100 … 130 … I was stuck in a parking lot on Upper Valley Road on the west side of Springfield.

Well, not really stuck — because I chose to be there — and the car was running fine. But I was waiting in the parking lot as the sun was just beginning to fade and one group of five or six crows passed by. Then another and another. It went on like that in a steady stream for more than 30 minutes and was still going when I left.

They didn’t pass over in organized flocks like geese in a V formation. Or fly in tight clusters like pigeons. Or giant murmurations like starlings, although the numbers could support it. And they were all headed to the same place - to roost in downtown Springfield for the night.

Read the complete column here: Counting Crows

Resources and Links

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/birds/american-crow 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/crows-perform-yet-another-skill-once-thought-distinctively-human/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gui3IswQ0DI

https://www.cnet.com/tech/watch-a-wild-crow-tackle-a-complex-eight-step-puzzle/ 

https://www.facebook.com/clarkcountyhistory/videos/750962162965021 

You Don’t Have to Look Far to See Wildlife

Many people move around the landscape and just see cars, people, and signs of places to surrender their legal tender. Unless there is a snow-covered mountain peak, palm trees by a white-sand beach, or a herd of bison charging through the snow, they’re bored. They think nothing is happening. I feel bad for those people. While they might not see it, they’re is always something happening outside, even on the coldest days of winter.

Wanna bet? If you’re reading this in Southwest Ohio, no matter where you are, I’ll bet real money that a Whitetail deer has been within ¾ mile of you in the last 24 hours. That’s hedging my guess because I think ½ mile is the real number. Although it varies by specific locations, with estimates of deer density at 16 deer per square mile, it’s almost a given. That also means just a few days ago, somewhere nearby, a pair of bucks were fighting in the woods. In the spring, does will give birth to and raise their fawns within earshot of humans and passing cars. 

Read the complete column here: Wild Neighbors: How to Spot Wildlife Living Near Your

Aviation Trail - The Pinnacles

https://www.aviationtrailinc.org/additional-trail-sites 

Spring Valley Wildlife Area

https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/spring-valley-wildlife-area 

Field Guides and Backyard Guides

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-odnr/wildlife/documents-publications/backyard-wildlife-documents

Deer Density

https://www.bestdeerfences.com/blog/deer-population-in-us-by-state/ 

Straight Shooter for Safety

“Why?” said a deer hunter I was talking to from Missouri a few years ago, as he was baffled by an Ohio deer hunting regulation. “Why would they do such a thing?” he asked. I was talking about Ohio’s change 10 years ago to allow straight-walled rifle cartridges, a big step in accuracy and consistency from shotgun slugs, pistols, and muzzleloaders. But throughout most of the country, not allowing shouldered cartridges, including some of the most traditional calibers, the 30/30 and 30/06 for example, would feel alien to deer hunters. He couldn’t fathom hunting deer without them.

What is a Shouldered Cartridge?

Image from Ohio Department of Natural Resources 2025-26 Hunting Regulations https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/wildlife/laws-regs-licenses/Ohio%20Hunting%20and%20Trapping%20Regulations%20ENGLISH.pdf 

I touched on this topic more than a decade ago, but apparently, Ohio hunters couldn't wait for the change. Sales for straight-walled cartridge rifles have soared. Cartridges available aren't just the standard high-power revolver options, but a range of new offerings created specifically for the purpose, as well as the grand daddy of them all, the 45/70. As of last year, the newly allowed rifles were second only to crossbows, which have a much longer opportunity with the number of days allowed. The numbers dwarf those taken with shotguns. Handguns are just for those looking for an extra challenge now. And hunting accidents continue to decline. You can read more in my column, Ohio hunting regulations prioritize safety — and accidents are declining.

Legal Ohio Deer Hunting Firearms

Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller shotgun using one ball or one rifled slug per barrel (rifled shotgun barrels are permitted when using shotgun slug ammunition).

Muzzleloading rifle: .38 caliber or larger.

Muzzleloading shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller using one ball per barrel. 

Handgun: With 5-inch minimum length barrel, using straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger. The barrel is measured from the front of the cylinder or chamber to the end of the barrel.

Straight-walled cartridge rifles in the following calibers: All straight-walled cartridge calibers from a minimum of .357 to a maximum of .50. Shotguns and straight-walled cartridge rifles can be loaded with no more than three shells in the chamber and magazine combined.

Ohio Deer Harvest 2024-25 by Implement

Crossbow: 78,254 (33%)

Straight-walled cartridge rifle: 77,027 (32%)

Shotgun: 34,338 (14%)

Vertical bow: 30,839 (13%)

Muzzleloader: 17,092 (7%)

Handgun: 587 (less than 1%)

I don't currently personally have a straight-walled cartridge rifle and I'm not in the market, but these would be on my short list for reasons that don't extend out of my head into actual experience.

Marlin 1894 in 44 Magnum

Savage 110 Trail Hunter in 350 Legend

Ruger No. 1 in 45/70 Government, (if they ever make it in that caliber again)

A (New) Traditional Bird

 Rooster! Wild ringnecked pheasants were not present on the first Thanksgiving Day table. Nor were they on the menu for anyone in North America returning home after the Civil War. It wasn’t until the late 1890s and early 1900s that pheasants were introduced across the country. With the right environment, their populations took off, quickly becoming a favorite in the field and on the table from coast to coast. Thanksgiving Day pheasant hunts became a family tradition in many homes. This was especially true across the agricultural center of the country during the middle of the last century.  The number of phesants has declined significantly since then.

There are a lot of variables in nature. Weather, predators (including humans), all play a role. But given the right habitat, wildlife populations can bounce back. This is especially true of pheasants. Polygamous roosters and relatively large brood sizes can repopulate areas quickly. Across the country, we saw numbers increase in correlation with the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through the late 1980s to mid ‘90s. That program pays farmers to take highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land out of production. Pheasants probably liked it more than farmers. The program moved the landscape closer to that 50/50 grass/crop land and bird numbers responded. When the program was reduced or the land was not reenrolled, numbers dropped. It’s a pretty simple equation. 

Ready for a Comeback

Iowa has gone through similar swings lately, pulling back to the positive slide dramatically with back-to-back best seasons in more than two decades. The right habitat, combined with a mild winter, dry spring to aid ground nests, resulted in a 43% increase in observed pheasant numbers in one year. Of course, it takes pheasants to make pheasants, but given the right circumstances, they can take care of it. 

Read the column in its entirety here, This bird used to be plentiful in Ohio, now it is harder to hunt 

Ohio Department of Natural Resources Pheasant Status

Pheasants Forever Upland Forecast

Ohio Pheasant Releases

Ohio Private Land Hunter Access

Sleep Champions

“I haven’t slept for 10 days, because that would be too long,” said comedian Mitch Hedberg. Sleeping for 10 days straight might be excessive for humans, but I think I know some people willing to test that theory, especially with the time change, less sunlight overall, and the deep grey of winter approaching. For some wildlife in Southwest Ohio without a holiday to-do list to prepare for, retiring to their favorite sleeping chamber for an extended period is the only thing on their schedule. It’s how they survive. While many think of hibernating bears, true hibernation is just one strategy to avoid the relative cold of Ohio winters.

Read the complete column here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/not-just-bears-these-are-ohios-true-hibernators-and-winter-survivors/T4XVWFQQMFDIZELAZGHZXBLW4Q/ 

Witness Ohio's Sleeping Champion - the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel - in a non-sleeping moment. 

 

Resources

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/mammals/woodchuck-goundhog  

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/mammals/thirteen-lined-ground-squirrel 

https://championcitysupply.com/blogs/news/story-behind-the-crow

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/birds/american-crow 

While Black Bears are known for hibernating, it’s a strategy to beat the weather. Bears in Florida, for example, don’t hibernate. They have other weather to worry about. 

How to Not Hit a Deer

Comedian Ron White had this to say about deer hunting: “If you ever miss one, it’s because the bullet is moving too fast. Slow that bullet down to 55 miles per hour, put some headlights and a little horn on it, and the deer will actually jump in front of the bullet.”

Sometimes it seems that he might be right. Like every other mammal, there are
surely varying levels of intelligence and road-crossing ability among Whitetail deer. But it might go out the window during the fall. Deer car collisions are no joke in Ohio, especially during November. According to the Ohio State Patrol, 47% of deer vehicle collisions in our state happen from October to December. November alone accounts for 22%. 

Read the complete column here, Deer Collisions Rise in November, Here's How to Steer Clear

Ohio Deer Strikes by County

dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/statepatrol.ohio.gov/DeerCrashBulletin_2024.pdf

Deer Harvest by County

dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/wildlife/wildlife-management/020225deerharvest.pdf

Photo by Greg Byman on Unsplash

Outdoor Sports Equinox

The Sports Equinox hit U.S. sports fans last week with overlapping seasons and same-day games across leagues. In what used to be an infrequent occurrence, the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS all had games.

For sports fans, it was both a dream and a conundrum — which to watch? With the current mix of broadcast and streaming, changing TV channels wasn’t as easy as a single button on the remote.

While the technical fall equinox happens in September, where equal hours of sunlight and darkness shine on the equator, for outdoor enthusiasts in Southwest Ohio, the “outdoor equinox” of overlapping opportunities happens reliably in the first week of November. It's the greatest time of the year.

Read the complete column here, ‘Sports Equinox’ hits outdoor enthusiasts, too

My Favorite Week

If it isn’t clear by now, the first week of November is top of my list of favorite weeks in the year.. Whatever your passion, I hope you make time to get out and enjoy what Southwest Ohio has to offer. 

I guess “best week” could be up for debate. But for me in Southwest Ohio, the first week of November is near or top of my list, for a number of reasons. 

1. We’re usually past the first frost, and typically the weather is crisp. Cool enough for the dogs to put in a good shift, especially in the morning. It means you only sweat if you want to work up a sweat.
2. It means fewer flying biting bugs, but you should never let your guard down about ticks. 
3. There is some color left to the trees, but vistas are starting to open up to a golden hue. In other words, before “stick season,” when everything is just brown. 
4. It’s a great time to knock out fall chores before the holidays and winter weather sets in. 
5. It’s election week,k and we get to vote. 
6. I don’t love the time change; it puts a sense of urgency to the evenings and gives a little extra light before most of the civilized world is moving, especially on weekends. 
7. A bonfire at night makes sense.
8. Pheasant and bobwhite quail seasons open. Grouse and woodcock seasons are still open. 
9. If you’re a deer hunter, archery season is open and the rut is about to peak.
10. You can still go fishing if you want, and fish are often in the biting mood. 
11. Hiking is best with crunchy leaves and a forest that looks like a world of Fruity Pepple cereal.

Freshwater Barracuda

Apex predators capture the imagination of the outdoors wherever they’re found. We humans have tipped the scales in our favor through brains and tools to stay on top and out of the jaws of everything from lions to grizzly bears to sharks. But we recognize their dominance in their environment.

In the freshwater reservoirs and streams of Ohio, that top-of-the-pyramid king is the Muskellunge, Esox Masquinongy, or just muskie.

Often called the fish of 10,000 casts, it could take that long to hook one. Or it could be the second cast, like Audrey Porto pictured with her father managed at C.J. Brown Reservoir. 

Read the complete column here: The apex predator hiding in Ohio waters — and how to catch one

Resources

Fish Ohio

https://ohiodnr.gov/buy-and-apply/hunting-fishing-boating/fishing-resources/fishohio-program

Muskie Log

https://apps.ohiodnr.gov/MuskieLog/welcome.aspx

Woodcock Keep Moving

The first woodcock I ever saw while holding a shotgun launched from near my feet to eye level in a Champaign County woodlot and flew straightaway. Since it was early November, we were focused on cottontails.

Nobody in our party of four was quite sure what it was, or if it was legal to shoot. So no one did.

It wasn’t a pheasant. It kind of looked like a snipe (the real kind). It was still years before the National Harvest Information Program had started, so we hadn’t declared we were after any migratory birds when we bought our license, or were asked if we’d be hunting woodcock.

While it hadn’t done any of the swervy acrobatic things that the woodcock I had read about were known for, and that made them difficult targets, we decided that that’s what it was.

Read the complete column, Hunters might be able to catch this migratory bird in the next few weeks

Get a New Perspective on Fall

 The changing seasons are one of the best things about the Midwest. The cool and crisp air makes us want to get out and about. But it takes balance. Looking at the fall foliage should be on everyone’s list.

But how? 

The “Sunday drive” in a car seems wasteful and mundane by modern standards. Sure, you could pass by a lot of fall foliage, but would you really experience fall? Part of fall is the smell and feel of it. You miss that in a car. It’s also not the best for pictures, and we know that’s important to some people.

Walking or hiking can seem limiting for time and effort expended. You could see some color. You can stop for pictures. But you might always wonder what was around the bend or hill that was too far that you didn’t see.

Getting some assistance down a trail on a saddle of one kind or another might well be the perfect answer for southwest Ohio. If you’re looking for a different perspective this fall, southwest Ohio has several options.

Read the complete column here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/experience-autumn-in-the-region-from-a-new-perspective-see-it-on-horseback-rail-bikes-and-more/KFFBDIWWPNE4JBVZDHSCLSBPFM/

Dem Bones

Photo shared by reader, Maureen Sharib

 Halloween has taken over yards and department stores in full force. It’s a rare drive now to anywhere these days where you don’t pass under the looming shadow of a 15-foot-tall skeleton or inflatable monster of some kind.

While the fake bones abound, you might be walking across the real bones of ancient creatures. Southwest Ohio is prime ground for fossil hunting. In fact, scientists come from all over the world to search for them. All you have to do is get out.

Read the column in its entirety here: ht
tps://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/forget-halloween-decorations-ohio-has-real-bones-to-find/WE4U23UPEREXTOX4QZU4IXR2FI/

Leaf it Be

 There’s a reason for falling leaves. It might look like the colorful beginning of the end (winter) to many, but like the three other seasons in Ohio, fall is just a necessary transition to the next. If spring is the “growing” season, fall is more than just harvest season; it’s the “replenishing” season.

That means we don’t just take things out of the fields or gardens. What’s left behind is important to native plants and animals, which depend on these cycles for survival.

Before you send the kids out with rakes and demands to see green grass under the newly fallen leaves. And before you start cutting everything down, piling things up, and shipping things away, take the weekend off, and think about the wildlife and the environment we call home.

Read the complete article here: Before raking leaves, know the role they play in natural process for plants, animals

MORE INFORMATION

Huffman Prairie Flying Field Habitat Day

Saturday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. - noon

All ages. Free registration is required to get a headcount for light breakfast, full lunch, beverages and door prizes. A variety of tasks to encourage native plant growth and support biodiversity, including gathering seeds from native plants for overseeding in other areas, targeted removal of invasive species, and assisting with selective herbicide application.

events.pheasantsforever.org/events/huffman-prairie-flying-field-habitat-day/1973782f-e0b9-4b03-b039-526b39c846d4

Prairie Seed Collecting - Part of Conservation Kids series

Saturday, Oct. 11, 10 - 11:30 a.m.

AGES: 3-13 | FREE

From the Five Rivers website: “We need seeds to care for our already existing prairies and to help us establish new habitat for pollinators. Join us on a seed-collecting extravaganza to help ensure the future of our biodiversity! Weather dependent.”

metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=U94&api=programs&type=program

Natural Gardens

ohionativeplantmonth.org/plant-a-pollinator-garden

ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-odnr/division-parks-watercraft/sustainability/pollinators

nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2023/Fall/Gardening/Fall-Gardening-Tips-Pollinators

fws.gov/story/how-build-pollinator-garden

Benefits of Leaving the Leaves

hgtv.com/outdoors/landscaping-and-hardscaping/what-does-leave-the-leaves-mean-and-why-you-should-do-it

Whitetail Deer Thriving - But New Threats?

It’s easy to think that the grass is greener somewhere other than Ohio. We can’t spot an elk up a mountain in Ohio. Or land a giant tarpon after a short boat ride. But when it comes to whitetail deer, Ohio could well be the heart of it all. Whitetail deer love Southwest Ohio. Opportunities for both quantity and quality abound at least for right now.

What a deer needs

Like everything in the world, deer need food and shelter to escape from predators and raise their young. After being nearly extirpated at the turn of the last century, the elimination of large predators in Ohio and the introduction of hunting regulations have made life much less precarious.

New threats on the ground

Unfortunately, there is a new potential threat to the landscape for Ohio deer. According to the ODNR website, “Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal neurological (brain and central nervous system) disease that affects members of the deer family, including whitetailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose and caribou.”

Read the complete column here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/hunting-season-is-nearly-here-when-it-comes-to-whitetail-deer-you-cant-beat-sw-ohio/LPIQYKDUL5FCVLQKDLOVK7DCX4/ 

In addition to CWD, an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in SE Ohio has claimed upwards of 8,000 deer in just a few counties this year. The disease is spread by midges and common in states to the south of Ohio. There the population has developed immunity. That's not the case in Ohio. Read more from the Columbus Dispatch here: Ohio hunting season starts amid deadly deer disease outbreak

Resources

Buckeye Big Bucks Club

Hunting Regulations

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

Feeding and Baiting Wildlife

The Compound Bow

The Beatty Buck

Leaving Town - The Great Migrations

 If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

I’ll sort of paraphrase for wildlife ... if the food you need isn’t in the kitchen, find another kitchen. Or if you or your preferred food can’t stand the cold, head south if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere.

For eons, that’s exactly what animals have done through migration. When you’re looking for motives in human behavior, they say, follow the money. If you’re looking for wildlife, follow the food.

Migration was always a perilous time for land mammals. River crossings and predators, then humans (well before cars and interstate highways), made journeys treacherous. To date, there aren’t any major migrations of mammals in or through Southwest Ohio.

Read the complete article here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/flyover-country-birds-bats-and-butterflies-migrate-through-our-area/KW6QFEI25ZCYREJO2A2YQILPYA/

Migration Vs Roaming and Expanding

Different species roam in and out of Ohio, but they’re not migrating. The black bear that passed through the area recently wasn’t migrating, just looking for a new home. Similarly, deer, coyotes and bobcats can move great distances as individuals sometimes, but they’re not migrating.

And it’s just a matter of time it seems, before the nine-banded armadillo becomes a regular full-time resident in Southwest Ohio. Once common only in Texas and the South, they have expanded dramatically north and east in recent years.

They are in Indiana and headed this way.